Iron Ore Slimes Flotation Tests Using Column and Amidoamine Collector without Depressant

Abstract

This work describes the concentration of iron ore slimes on a pilot scale by using a 500-mm diameter flotation column and a novel collector, which renders the use of a depressant unnecessary. The pilot column was operated in series with the industrial plant Vargem Grande 2 (Iron Quadrangle, Brazil) receiving, as feed, part of the underflow from the desliming thickener. These pilot tests represented only the rougher stage of a flotation circuit. The novel collector used was an amidoamine (average collector dosage of 160 g/t), and the tests were carried out in the absence of starch, at pH 10.5 and with bubbles/microbubbles generated by cavitation tube. It was possible to achieve a concentrate, by reverse flotation, with an average iron content of 53% and an average metallurgical recovery of 91.5% The recovery of the silica in the froth was 53.1% in average for one stage of flotation. The high variability of the slime characteristics rendered difficult the stabilization of the SiO2 recovery; however, the applicability of the amidoamine collector was proven. In an industrial scale circuit, the use of online analyzers for Fe and SiO2 content and the adoption of control logics based on the adjustment of parameters such as reagents dosage and washing water flow rate adjustment should contribute to the optimization of the results obtained in the pilot scale tests. Further studies adding a cleaner concentration stage should be performed.

Effect of Solid Concentration and Particle Size on the Flotation Kinetics and Entrainment of Quartz and Hematite

“…The solid concentrations of hematite and quartz were selected based on observations of particle behavior under different solid concentrations in the mechanical flotation cell to assure adequate particle dispersion. Experiments were conducted at pH 10, while the pH was adjusted by using 0.1 M KOH aqueous solution and is the common pH value for reverse flotation of iron oxide [29,30]. A 200 g/t of dodecylamine acetate (DDA) aqueous solution was added as a collector.…”

Clean Utilization of Limonite Ore by Suspension Magnetization Roasting Technology

“…Currently, solvable methods for the efficient beneficiation of refractory low-grade iron ore are further discussed, such as improving mineral liberation and developing highly efficient separation processes, which have been explored to enhance refractory low-grade iron ore separation [15][16][17]. In addition, some scholars have paid great attention to optimizing traditional beneficiation techniques to improve the grade of refractory low-grade iron Minerals 2022, 12, 260 2 of 13 ore. Froth flotation is an effective method to recover fine iron minerals, and numerous investigations have been carried out on the recovery of refractory low-grade iron ore, especially for fine-grained iron minerals [18][19][20][21][22][23]. Some specific flotation schemes, such as shear flocculation flotation and carrier flotation, have been used to recover refractory lowgrade ore [24,25].…”

Two-step flotation and reverse flotation circuits of iron oxide and its process minerology

“…A two-step otation processes mainly for carbonaceous iron ore was developed and applied for Donganshan iron ore (Pattanaik and Venugopal, 2018;Yin et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 2019), which is mainly divided into two parts; rst by direct otation at neutral conditions and second by reverse otation under alkaline condition (Fan et al, 2020;Filippov et al, 2021;Silva et al, 2021;Zhang et al, 2019). Due to the change of the original mineral properties, it is worth exploring the otation process and its chemical reagent system of mixed magnetically separated particles.…”